Switching device with interrupter chamber module

ABSTRACT

An arcing chamber assembly is described having two side walls, a contact compression spring, a contact link, a slide which can be mounted one behind the other in the interior of the arcing chamber assembly, just by stacking them from one side. For this purpose, the arcing chamber assembly includes a passage, whose length is at least equal to the length of the contact link on the component supply side.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a switching device having an arcingchamber assembly with two opposite, elongated side walls by means ofwhich an internal area is formed in which a slide is mounted such thatit can move in a movement direction transversely with respect to thelongitudinal extent of the arcing chamber assembly, with a movingcontact link, which is associated with fixed contacts, being held in anopening in the slide under the influence of a contact compressionspring.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A switching device of this generic type is described in German PatentNo. DE 693 02 599. This patent describes a multipole switch disconnectorin which an isolating structure having disconnectable contacts isprovided for each pole current path. Each pole current path contains twofixed contacts and two moving contacts arranged on a moving contactlink, thus forming a double-interruption pole switch. A mechanism foropening and closing the contents acts on the moving contact link. Thisis done via a trigger, which is guided in a fixed cage. The cage iscomposed of insulating material and contains a base wall and side wallsprojecting from it at right angles, and is provided with windows whosesizes are such that they allow the movement of the contact link, inparticular under the influence of the opening and closing mechanism,when an electrodynamic reaction occurs. Furthermore, the windows definean upper stop for the contact link. A contact compression frame isarranged in a central hollow of the cage, between the base wall of thecage and the contact link, and this hollow acts as a seat and atranslational guide for the trigger. The trigger is thus guided againstthe inner surfaces of the side walls of the cage. The walls of thetrigger have openings, whose sizes are such that, on the one hand, theyallow the contact link to be inserted into the trigger and, on the otherhand, allow angular movement of the link with respect to the trigger.The cage contains isolating vanes, which run in the longitudinaldirection over a distance which is somewhat greater than the length ofthe contact link, and whose height is sufficient to produce a volumewhich contains the opening arcs.

This arcing chamber assembly is assembled in such a way that the triggerand slide are first introduced into the cage, and are then held in adefined position. In consequence, a window in the slide is accessiblefrom the side under the webs which form the stops. Once the contactcompression spring has been inserted from above through the hole in theslide into the cage, the moving switching piece is inserted into thespace which is still free in the window, after compressing the spring bymeans of a stamp, and is finally rotated to its final operating positionby rotating it through 90°.

The described assembly process is time-consuming and costly.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is to improve a switching device ofthe abovementioned type, having an arcing chamber assembly, which allowssimple, in particular automated, assembly.

This object is achieved in that a passage whose length is at least equalto the length of the contact link is provided from the internal area tothe exterior between the opposite longitudinal sides of the two sidewalls, through which passage the contact link can be inserted into theinternal area in order to be held between the contact compression springand the slide.

The example embodiment according to the present invention offers theadvantage that those parts which are located in the arcing chamberassembly can be fitted into the internal area successively, in amovement direction from one side. The passage provides sufficient freespace to allow assembly easily by means of industrial robots.

In an advantageous development of the present invention, the side wallshave a stop for the slide.

It is also advantageous if the slide can be latched to the side walls,in order to create a simple connection in this way.

The slide advantageously has latching elements which engage in slotsformed parallel to the movement direction of the slide. This means thatthere is a loose latched connection between the slide and the sidewalls, which allows the slide to move in the said movement direction.

If the two side walls are connected only on two opposite longitudinalsides by means of an arcing chamber base on which the contactcompression spring is supported, this results in an embodiment in whichthe heat which is produced by the arcs in the internal area isdissipated well.

Owing to the arcing heat, the structure together with the two side wallscan be distorted and deformed unacceptably. In order to avoid this, thearcing chamber assembly is advantageously embedded in the chamber systemin such a way that the side walls are supported on the outside.

A further advantageous measure is provided by ribs on one housing partand/or on other subassemblies of the switching device, which projectinto the arcing chamber and thus ensure a spacing from the side walls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the arcing chamber assembly accordingto the present invention, together with the associated components;

FIG. 2 shows an arcing chamber assembly modified from that in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a slide having a moving contact link;

FIG. 4 shows an arcing chamber assembly embedded in a chamber system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an arcing chamber assembly 1, a contactcompression spring 2, a moving contact link 3, and a slide 4 which maybe referred to as a trigger. In the illustrated view, the arcing chamberassembly 1 includes two parallel, elongated side walls 5, which areconnected on their underneath by means of an arcing chamber base 6,which is not shown here. The space 7 between the two side walls 5, thatis to say the internal area, is accessible on all sides except for theconnection through the arcing chamber base 6. A guide channel 10, whichis provided with slots 11 in the side walls 5, is formed by means ofcontours 9 in the side walls 5, centrally and transversely with respectto the longitudinal sides 8. Once the contact compression spring 2 hasbeen inserted into this guide channel 10 and is supported on the arcingchamber base 6, the moving contact link 3 is likewise inserted fromabove into the internal area. The dimensions of the guide channel 10 arematched to those of the slide 4. Once the moving contact link 3 has beeninserted, the slide 4 is inserted into the guide channel 10, in theprocess, its latching tabs 12 arranged at the side latch in said slots11 and comes to rest on the contact link. For this purpose, the slide 4has an opening 15, which is in the form of a recess on the underneath inorder to accommodate the contact link 3. The upper boundary of the slots11 is in this case used as a stop 18 for the slide 4.

The arcing chamber assembly 1 may also be designed, for example, in sucha way that the upper longitudinal sides 8, via which the components areinserted, are connected to one another by means of webs 13 as shown inFIG. 2. These webs 13 must be spaced apart so that a passage 14 whoselength is at least equal to the length of the contact link 3 is formedbetween them. Accordingly, it is necessary to ensure that the entirelength of the contact link 3 can be fed from above, in only one movementdirection, into its final installed position in the internal area 7.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a slide 4, in which theopening 15 is in the form of a window.

FIG. 4 shows how the assembled arcing chamber assembly 1 is embeddedbetween the side walls 16 of a chamber system in a switching device.This results in the side walls 5 of the arcing chamber assembly 1 beingsupported on the outside so that they cannot be forced apart from oneanother. Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows transverse ribs 17, for example onanother housing part or a subassembly, which project from above into thearcing chamber assembly 1 and spread the latter apart, that is say theyensure that there is a uniform minimum spacing between its side walls 5.

What is claimed is:
 1. A switching device, comprising: an arcing chamberassembly having two opposite side walls, the two opposite side wallsforming an internal area; a moveable slide mounted in the internal areafor motion, when in operation, along an axis; a contact compressionspring disposed in the internal area for compression along the axis ofmotion of the slide; a moving contact link associated with fixedcontacts, the contact link being held in an opening in the slide usingthe contact compression spring, the contact link being fed through apassage from above along the axis of motion of the slide into theinternal area so that the contact link is held between the compressionspring and the slide, the passage extending from the internal areabetween the two opposite walls to an exterior and having a length atleast equal to a length of the contact link.
 2. The switching deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the side walls include a stop for theslide.
 3. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein the slideis latchable to the side walls.
 4. The switching device according toclaim 1, wherein the slide includes latching elements which engage inslots formed parallel to a movement direction of the slide.
 5. Theswitching device according to claim 1, wherein the side walls areconnected only on two opposite longitudinal sides using an arcingchamber base on which the contact pressure spring is supported.
 6. Theswitching device according to claim 5, further comprising at least oneweb disposed between the opposite side walls.
 7. The switching deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein the at least one web comprises a pair ofwebs spaced from each other at a distance at least equal to the lengthof the contact link, to permit the entire length of the contact link tobe fed from above in only one movement direction.
 8. The switchingdevice according to claim 1, further comprising: a chamber system, thearcing chamber assembly being embedded in the chamber system so that theside walls are supported on the outside.
 9. The switching deviceaccording to claim 1, further comprising: ribs on at least one of ahousing part and a subassembly of the switching device projecting intothe arcing chamber assembly to ensure a permanent spacing from the sidewalls.